----中文待译----
639. Which stand before the God of the earth.- This signifies the things that are Divine which proceed from the Lord, and which are of Him in heaven and in the church, as is evident from the signification of the God of the earth, as denoting the Lord, who is the God of heaven and earth, and, specifically, the God of the church in heaven and in the world; for earth (terra) in the Word signifies the church, and the church is in heaven as well as in the world. The reason why heaven and the church also are there understood by earth, is, that there are lands (terroe,) in the spiritual world just as in the natural world, and in external appearance they are very similar in that world to what they are in this. For this reason the God of the earth means the God of heaven and earth, and, specifically, the God of the church in heaven and in the world. That the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, He Himself teaches in Matthew:
Jesus said," All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth" (28:18).
And from the signification of standing before Him, as denoting to be from Him, thus what is of Him in heaven and in the church.
[2] In various places in the Word it is said of angels and of men of the church that they stand, before God, also that they walk before Him, and in the spiritual sense, by standing before God is signified life (esse) from Him, and by walking before God is signified to live according to life (esse) from Him. For all the life (esse) of heaven and the world proceeds from the Lord, being the proceeding Divine which created and formed every thing in heaven and in the world; this is called the Word in John (1:1-3); and the Word there mentioned is the proceeding Divine, which is called the Divine Truth, from which all things were made and created. Since this extends itself in every direction around the Lord as the Sun, it is properly said to stand before Him, for from every quarter and direction it looks to the Lord as its common centre; and this in its essence is the Lord in heaven, because it is the proceeding Divine, and that which proceeds is of Him from whom it proceeds, in fact, it is He Himself; just as the heat and light proceeding from the sun is of the sun. Therefore all the angels, being recipients of this proceeding Divine, which is called the Divine Truth, turn themselves to the Lord, and hence are continually in His presence. For, as stated, the proceeding Divine looks to the Lord as its centre from which it proceeds and to which [it returns]; consequently the angels also, who are the recipients of Divine Truth, and are Divine truths as it were in form. It is from this fact that the angels are said to stand before the Lord, for "to stand" is properly used in reference to Divine Truth, because it surrounds the Lord as a Sun.
[3] To stand before God signifies also in the following passages to be in the Divine Truth, consequently with the Lord.
In Luke:
"The angel said, I am Gabriel, that standeth before God" (1:19).
In the First Book of Kings:
"I saw Jehovah sitting upon his throne, and all the host of the heavens standing near him, on his right hand and on his left" (22:19).
In Jeremiah:
"There shall not be cut off from Jonadab a man to stand before me all the days" (35:19).
In David:
"At thy right hand standeth the queen in best gold of Ophir" (Psalm 45:9).
In Luke:
"Watch at all times, that ye may be accounted worthy to stand before the Son of Man" (21:36).
In the Apocalypse:
"The great day of his anger cometh, and who can stand?" (6:17);
"All the angels stood around the throne, and the elders and the four animals" (7:11).
"I saw seven angels who stood before God" (8:2).
In Zechariah:
Two olive trees, and two berries of olives, which are "the two sons of the olive tree, standing near the Lord of the whole earth" (iv.
[11], 12, 14); and in other places.
It is also said concerning the Lord Himself that "He stood to judge," because it is said of the Divine proceeding from the Lord, which is called Divine Truth, since judgment is from it.
Thus in Isaiah:
"Jehovah stood up to plead, and standeth to judge" (638).
639. Standing before the God of the earth, signifies which are the Divine things proceeding from the Lord, and are His in heaven and in the church. This is evident from the signification of "the God of the earth," as being the Lord, who is the God of heaven and earth, and particularly the God of the church in heaven and in the world; for in the Word "the earth" signifies the church, and the church is both in heaven and in the world. "The earth" means heaven and also the church there, because there are lands in the spiritual world, like as in the natural world, and in external appearance they are altogether similar in that world as in this; this is why "the God of the earth" means the God of heaven and earth, and particularly the God of the church in heaven and in the world. That the Lord is the God of heaven and earth He Himself teaches in Matthew:
Jesus said, All power hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).
The above is evident also from the signification of "standing before Him," as meaning the being [esse] from Him, and thus what is His in heaven and in the church.
[2] In the Word it is here and there said of angels and of the men of the church that "they stand before God," also that "they walk before Him," and in the spiritual sense "to stand before God" signifies being from Him, and "to walk before God" signifies to live according to being [esse] from Him; for all the being [esse] of heaven and the world proceeds from the Lord; for it is the Divine proceeding that has created and formed all things of heaven and the world; this Divine proceeding is called "the Word" in John 1:1-3; and "the Word" there is the Divine proceeding, which is called Divine truth, from which all things were made and created. Because this extends itself in every direction about the Lord as a sun, it is properly said "to stand before Him," for it looks to the Lord as its common center, from every quarter and from every boundary. This is, in its essence, the Lord in heaven, for it is the Divine proceeding, and that which proceeds is of Him from whom it proceeds, and indeed is Himself; just as the heat and light that proceed from the sun are of the sun. For this reason all angels, who are recipients of this Divine proceeding, which is called Divine truth, turn themselves to the Lord, and thus are continually in His presence; for, as was said, the Divine proceeding looks to the Lord as its center from which it is and to which it looks; so also do the angels, who are the recipients of Divine truths, and are as it were Divine truths in form. This is why angels are said "to stand before the Lord," for "to stand" is properly predicated of Divine truth, because this stands about the Lord as a sun.
[3] "To stand before God" signifies to be in Divine truth, and thus with the Lord, also in the following passages. In Luke:
The angel said, I am Gabriel, that standeth before God (638)
639. "Quae coram Deo terrae stantia." - Quod significet quae sunt Divina a Domino procedentia, ac sunt Ipsius in caelo et in ecclesia, constat ex significatione "Dei terrae", quod sit Dominus, qui Deus caeli et terrae est; in specie Deus ecclesiae in caelo et in mundo, nam per "terram" in Verbo significatur ecclesia, et ecclesia est tam in caelo quam in mundo; quod caelum et ecclesia ibi etiam intelligatur per "terram", est quia in mundo spirituali sunt aeque terrae sicut in mundo naturali, et quoad externam apparentiam sunt in illo mundo prorsus similia quae in hoc mundo; inde est quod per "Deum terrae" intelligatur Deus caeli ac terrae, ac in specie Deus ecclesiae in caelo et in mundo; (quod Dominus sit Deus caeli et terrae, docet Ipse apud Matthaeum;
Jesus dixit, "Data est Mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra", 28:18):
et ex significatione "stare coram Ipso", quod sit esse ab Ipso, et inde quod est Ipsius in caelo et in ecclesia.
[2] In Verbo, de angelis et de hominibus ecclesiae, passim dicitur quod "stent coram Deo", tum etiam quod "ambulent coram Ipso"; et ibi in sensu spirituali per "stare coram Deo" significatur esse ab Ipso, et per " ambulare coram Deo" significatur vivere secundum esse ab Ipso; omne enim esse caeli et mundi procedit a Domino, est enim Divinum procedens, quod creavit et formavit omnia caeli et mundi; hoc Divinum procedens vocatur "Verbum" apud Johannem (cap. 1:1-3), ac "Verbum" ibi est Divinum procedens quod vocatur Divinum Verum, ex quo omnia facta et creata sunt: hoc quia circum Dominum ut Solem quaquaversum se extendit, est quod proprie dicitur "stare coram Ipso", nam hoc ab omni plaga et ab omni termino spectat Dominum ut suum centrum commune: et id est in sua essentia Dominus in caelo, quia est Divinum procedens; et quod procedit est Ipsius ex quo procedit, immo est Ipse, plane sicut calor et lux procedens a sole est solis: omnes itaque angeli, qui recipientes sunt Divini hujus procedentis quod vocatur Divinum Verum, se vertunt ad Dominum, et inde continue in Ipsius praesentia sunt; nam, ut dictum est, Divinum procedens spectat Dominum ut suum centrum a quo et ad quod; consequenter etiam angeli, qui sunt recipientes Divini Veri, ac quasi Divina vera in forma: ex eo est quod angeli dicantur "stare coram Domino", nam de Divino Vero proprie dicitur "stare", quia circumstat Dominum ut Solem.
[3] "Stare coram Deo" significat esse in Divino Vero, proinde apud Dominum, etiam in sequentibus his locis:
- Apud Lucam,
"Angelus dixit, Ego sum Gabriel stans coram Deo" (1:19);
in Libro Primo Regum,
"Vidi Jehovam sedentem super throno suo, et universum exercitum caelorum stantem juxta Ipsum a dextra Ipsius et a sinistra Ipsius" (22:19);
apud Jeremiam,
"Non excidetur vir Jonadabo...stans coram Me omnibus diebus" (35:19);
apud Davidem,
"Stat regina ad dextram tuam in auro optimo Ophiris" ( 1
Ps. 45:10[9]);
apud Lucam,
"Vigilate omni tempore, ut digni habeamini.... ad standum coram Filio hominis" (21:36);
in Apocalypsi,
"Venit dies magnus irae Ipsius, et quis potest stare?" (6:17);
"Omnes angeli steterunt circum thronum, et seniores et quatuor animalia" (7:11);
"Vidi septem angelos qui coram Deo steterunt" (8:2 2
);
apud Sachariam,
Duae oleae et duae baccae olivarum, quae sunt "duo filii oleae, stantes juxta Dominum totius terrae" (4 [4:11,] 12, 14); et alibi.
De Ipso Domino etiam dicitur quod "steterit ad judicandum", quia dicitur de Divino procedente a Domino, quod vocatur Divinum Verum, quia ex illo judicium. Ita dicitur apud Esaiam,
"Jehovah stitit se ad litigandum, et stans ad judicandum" (3:13);
et apud Davidem,
"Deus stetit in coetu Dei, in medio deorum judicabit" (Psalms 82:1):
per "coetum Dei", et per "deos", in quorum medio Jehovah stetit, intelliguntur angeli, per quos in sensu spirituali significantur Divina vera; et quia Dominus in caelo est Divinum Verum, ideo de Ipso ibi dicitur "stare." Ex his nunc constare potest quod per "coram Deo terrae stare" significetur Divinum a Domino procedens, quod est Ipsius in caelo et in ecclesia; quod hoc ac illi qui in eo sunt intelligantur, constare etiam potest ex eo, quod "stare coram Deo terrae" dicatur de "duabus oleis" et de "duobus candelabris", per quae significatur bonum et verum, proinde Divinum procedens. (videatur etiam praecedens articulus, n 638.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.